If anyone was curious about what the siblings look like, here you go! Took me a while to get done, but I'm happy with the end result~

For those of you that wanna see the it: The Siblings of Menoris Speedpaint

Now, on with the chapter!

The run across the Monastery wasn't terribly long, seeing as they were close enough to the student dormitories. Nonetheless, the red glow seeping from the doorsill sucks the air right out of my chest.

I knock on the wooden door, knuckles scraping against the wood grain. It was a good door, simple in design with few metal embellishments on the corners to match the handle.

The wood itself is almost thick enough to muffle Jack's frustrated screaming completely.

"Jack?"

The sudden silence from beyond the door is unsettling, almost as if time froze in place within the room. The glow dims, only slightly, as if Jack turned his back to the doorway.

I press my hand to the wood, silently willing it to give way: "Open the damn door. I know you're in there."

A meek groan sounds out from the room, the weight from my chest lifting as the door slowly creaks open.

My relief doesn't last long, my cheeks blanching the second I see my brother's pale face. His scleras are red from tears that had dried long ago, gaze blank and listless. His astutely tied-back blonde locks are loosely covering his shoulders, matted with cold sweat.

The worst of it all are his irises, their hazel color covered by a violent red. They glow frantically, his curse shown for all the world to see.

"Alma, could we not speak at the moment? I am in the middle of something."

Determinedly, I shake my head, forcing my way inside the room and shutting the door before he can pass the threshold behind me: "Not a chance in hell, Jack. We're talking about this."

His uncomfortable squirming makes me grimace: "I know how uncomfortable it makes you, but it's getting out of control!" He despondently grumbles in defeat, seeing struggling as pointless with myself barring the only reasonable exit.

I don't think he's desperate enough to crash through his window.

His bed's springs creak in protest as he plops himself onto the bed without ceremony. The room is almost pitch dark, the last of the sun's fading light blocked out by the thick, drawn curtains. In the dim haze, the room is an absolute warzone: his precious tomes thrown on the floor with reckless abandon, his blankets strewn on top of them.

Jack's face is half-buried in the pillow, mouth, and nose thankfully exposed, so he didn't accidentally smother himself... which has happened before: "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

I let a beat of silence engulf the room as I swallow my frustration, looking to my brother with as much patience as I can muster:

"Look, I know mom used to sa-"

"Says." He cuts me off, his correction dripping with grief. I grimace at the noticeable stiffening of his back, desperate to grasp onto the idea that mom's still alive.

I shake my head, trying to wipe the memory of the army at our backs. As much as I'd love to see them hale and whole... there's no way they made it out of that battlefield alive.

I can't scold him for his blind optimism, though. Not when he's like this.

"...Says-" I correct myself at his behest, and his body relaxes a bit "-that men are 'debaucherous friends' ready to take your virtue. But you're old enough to know that doesn't apply to everyone!" I huff, prying the pillow away from his face and smiling gently at him: "So, you wanna tell me what made you run away from Dimitri today?"

Silence is slain by his embarrassed groan, the boy pressing the base of his palms into his closed eyes. The words he speaks are garbled, muffled nonsense: "Wait, lemme get this straight. You think he's... scary?"

"Mhmm."

Amusement bubbles up in my chest at his childish admission: "So you ran because you didn't know how to deal with the fact you like hanging out with a dude you just met, who scares you?"

I laugh when my brother huffs at me, pouting: "You needent put it so indecently Alma!"

I smirk, raising a brow challengingly: "Oh? Then how would you put it?"

He growls in frustration, eyes meeting my own as his voice rises to the challenge: "That man-beast holds the strength to easily snap steel weapons in two! He bears a hatred and blood-lust that writhes angrily within him, a doomsday sanction. He may be a charming man: gentle, kind, and honorable... but he is an unpredictable wolf in sheep's clothing—a wolf lord. It... terrifies me."

My heart breaks as his voice cracks, the fearful blurt causing him to strain himself. My brother's always been skittish 'lest he has a book in his face, but this...

This is new: "I am also overwhelmed by the fact that a royal sought my company. I am nowhere near qualified, in any regard, to 'hang out' with the crown prince of Faerghus. I-"

I cut him off, not daring to let him finish his thought: "Don't you dare degrade yourself!" I grab him by the arms, forcing him to sit up and face me: "Do you seriously think Dimitri would let you keep his company if he disliked you?"

"He is a kind prince..." The excuse slides out of his mouth unsurely, and I shake him: "That wears his very heart on his sleeve!"

"I... I suppose you're right." The bright red of his eyes shifts back to their composed hazel-brown, though they are still downcast and meek. "Besides... if he is a beast as you say, I'm here to protect you. Seren may be an ass but she won't let me get hurt, and I know you'll help me too."

That draws a nod from him, a small chuckle escaping him. I smile, sitting on the bed beside him with a satisfied sigh: "Everything's gonna be OK, Jack, I promise."

He nods, wrapping his arm around my waist, laying his head on my shoulder. I return his side-hug with a tight one of my own, rubbing small circles into his shoulder.

Time slows to a crawl as we sit; the stillness of the room a small comfort to us both. As silvery moonlight filters in through the cracks of the blinds, Jack's yawn breaks the quiet: "Tired, huh?"

He nods, my eyes flitting to the clock on his desk—a birthday gift from Alois from a year ago. Its hands read He nods, my eyes flitting to the clock on his desk—a birthday gift from Alois from a year ago. Its hands read '23:45'. Almost midnight.

"It's pretty late, we should probably get to sleep."

"Lest you find it proper to sleep through tomorrow's mission, yes. I'd say so." Jack's snark holds an undertone of unease, hidden underneath the dull deadpan. I chuckle, the sound soon falling off as he presses himself to my side unsurely: "Stay?"

His pitiful hum made my heart shudder, my hand grabbing his. It still shakes, ever so slightly.

"Sure, gimme a second." I hum, peeling off my chestplate, gauntlets, and greaves before dragging his desk chair by his bed. He'd tucked himself in by the time I was done, free of his leather vest, and was almost falling asleep by the time I layed my head on the mattress.

A beat of silence occurs before Jack huffs, grabs my hand, and falls completely asleep: "Thank you."

My thumb runs across his knuckles before I sleepily murmur, "Sleep well, Jack."